In 1923, Andre Breton rushed Tristan Tzara onstage, sparking a melee between the Dadaists and Surrealists that resulted in a broken arm. Whose arm has been broken in the name of art theory lately? When was the last time that art truly shocked? I say it again: I want to live out on the bleeding edge. Where is that?

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Thomas Brinkmann – Work
(from Lucky Hands. Max Ernst, 2005)

Ester Brinkmann – La Tour
(from Der Ubergetzer – il Tradutton. Max Ernst, 2001)

The constant cycle of mini-trends in techno keep the genre fascinating, yet take the long view and it’s remarkable how little has changed since the mid-1990s. Thomas Brinkmann still rocks. Whether he’s reworking Staxx records, lopping scientific lectures, building his own tricked-out hardware, or topping off a track with a classic-rock synth line (see ‘Work’), even the man’s misses are hits. Everything on his eclectic Max Ernst label is worth getting hold of – to get started, track down the ‘Tina/Argo’ 12″ (few songs are as tight as ‘Argonauten’) and the 1998 Totes Rennen LP, recorded under the Ester alias.